John Varvatos brings his high-end, rock-and-roll menswear to Yorkdale Shopping Centre

John Varvatos brings his high-end, rock-and-roll menswear to Yorkdale Shopping Centre

(Image: courtesy John Varvatos)

Menswear designer John Varvatos, known as much for his rock’n’roller friends as his rocker aesthetic, has landed in suburbia, of all places. The label’s 12th stand-alone store, which opened this week in Yorkdale Mall, does its best to emulate the downtown vibe of its Manhattan flagship in iconic punk-rock club, CBGB. The spacious new location, whose walls are plastered with photos of music greats, carries all three of Varvatos’s brands: the decidedly upscale John Varvatos Collection, more casual duds from John Varvatos USA, and his line for Converse sneakers.

Expect plenty of distressed leather, slim-cut suiting separates, layering tees and and skinny scarves, plus jewellery and Varvatos’s limited-edition watches for Ernst Benz. The street-ready designs are perfect for displaced former-downtown dads who want (and can afford) to bring a bit of edge back in their closets. Varvatos himself will be at the store on Wednesday night to sign copies of his book called, what else, John Varvatos: Rock in Fashion.

John Varvatos, Yorkdale Shopping Centre, 3401 Dufferin St. Su–Th 11–9, F, Sa 11–10